JH1BED/VR2RJ

Taka-san (JH1BED/VR2RJ) is now working in ShenZhen and his QTH is closed to Futain Check Point. He sent me email last week and we arranged eyeball QSO. Last Sunday (27 March), I picked him up at the Fanling Station at around 11:30 am. After lunch , went back to my QTH and he operated CQ WPX SSB contest for about 2 hours. He worked 150 stations. We look forward to have more gathering in the future time.

Front End Saver

I use a separate receive antenna for 80M, to eliminate the possibility of blowing out the radio’s front end, I made the ‘front end saver’ followed the circuit designed by KD9SV. It disconnect the receive antenna during transmit, ground the receiver input when transmitting thus keeping RF out of the radio and eliminating the chance of blowing the radio’s front end.

The box installed with a switch to select three radios, I also reserve some space inside the box for a low noise pre-amp.

FT-736 lost audio output

My FT-736R suddenly lost audio output (only the scanning beep OK).
I checked the AF unit Q06 upc2002 pin 5 have only 2V. Looks like the IC failed and shorted out the 1Ω,1/4W resistor (fuse), 13.8V at the supply side.
Then I replaced the 1Ω, the sound come back. Well, I am a little bit lucky this time, not the upc2002, otherwise need to do more soldering work.

80 Meter DX

I have set up the 80M antennas this winter and hope to make some DX QSOs on 80M. Noise is a big problem around my QTH. So I need to use the 0.75 Meter coaxial loop for receiving. The input signal level is very low, but with good S/N ratio. Transmitting using the Butternut HF2V vertical, it perform very well. Please look for me daily on 3.797 Mhz +/-

Eyeball QSO with E21EIC

Champ, E21EIC and his XYL spent four days holiday in Hong Kong recently. We went to the hotel and met him up for our second eyeball QSO. He gave me a very good present (HS0AC Six meter QSO QSL card )by hand.

Although it was a very short time for the gathering, but a lot of fun. Look forward to meet him again.

FT-920 - High SWR on 50 Mhz

Main Unit



Q1084 - burned



After replace



The FT-920 experienced with the following problem recently:

1) high SWR on 6m
2) no control / adjustment of VHF power on the internal VR pot
3) TX on SSB , no mic input and getting full pwr output - at this point pwr cannot tune down
4) the above not appear on HF
5) turn on the ATT to 12 / 18, the above problem goes away.

I sent out help in the yahoo FT-920 group, but no solid hints on this. Two weeks ago, I saw Kevin, KI4NBO post that he had the same problem. He finally found out the problem realted to Q1084 - 2SC2714.

Q1084 is part of the T/R switching at the front end. It is turned on in transmit to keep the TX signal out of the RX antenna circuits. It is in the direct line of fire if the radio gets a lightning hit, so it goes along with those other JFETs being burned. (very lucky that the JFET is working at my radio) The attenuator circuits are also connected in at this point.

I have followed his hints to repalce the same, the radio back to normal now. Many thanks to Kevin, KI4NBO for his great work.

MFJ-269 Anatenna Analyzer Repairing

Few weeks ago, when I doing the routine inspection of my antennas, make a big mistake that the MFJ-269 antenna analyzer was connected into the vertical antenna and key the radio with the yagi antenna, strong RF signal caused the analyzer damaged. The problem was that the unit connected with a dummy load the it display R=27-28 Ohm X=0, no matter in what frequency range.

Searching through the web and tried to source the circuit diagram of the unit, not success. Finally I noticed that Goran SM7DLK wrote a very good article about repairing his unit to the common problem (27.9V display) of MFJ-269. Then I sent an email to him asking for the circuit diagram. He is very kind and sent me one.

I checked into the circuit and understand it by the help of Fai, VR2ZXP that the possible ways to cause the fault by strong RF are the diodes D14, D17, D15 & D16 in the bridge. D14-D17 is the DIODE SCHOTTKY HSMS2820. It is easy to obtain from Mouser Electronics.

Then I removed the PCB out and have the first try, but the SMD components are too small, that I could not go further. For this case, I need helping eyes … Fai, VR2ZXP promised to help.

Finally, he found the D16 was leakage and it was replaced. The unit back to normal.
My thanks go to Fai, VR2ZXP for his helping eyes and skillful hands.

All Asian Dx Contest - 2009

Our Club QSL Maanger, Loagn (VR2XRW) informed me a very nice Award and Medal for the 2009 All Asian DX Contest (Phone) was received.

The contest was operated by me and VK6DXI,category Multi-op, Single TX, by using the sepecial event callsign = VR2009EAG.

A92GR and A92IO - Confirmed

A92GR ( Mohamed ) and A92IO ( Dave ) returned the nice QSL card to me.







# 156 Country on Six Meter confirmed. !!!

HS0AC - #157 on Six Meter

Worked HS0AC 0031z 18 July 2010, #157 country on six meter.

Also, thinking it is the first ever six meter HS <-> VR2 contact.

=

HS0AC is the sole station authorised for 6-metres in CQWW VHF contest

Perhaps the biggest development to be announced by RAST President Chaiyong Wongwuticomjon, HS1QVD, during the July meeting at Sena Place Hotel was the temporary six-metre authorisation issued by the NTC for RAST's club station HS0AC to operate during the CQWW VHF contest on the weekend of July 17-18, 2010.
Information received earlier (and posted on this website) had indicated that other Thai stations might operate, but the letter issued by the National Telecommunications Commission grants permission for the HS0AC club station only, and the letter also specifies the use of licensed equipment for this purpose.
Nevertheless, operators are keen to be the first to transmit a legal six-metre signal from Thailand in almost 20 years, the last time this has been authorised was during a SEANET convention hosted by RAST in Chiang Mai back in 1992.

=

TV Antenna

I picked up the Maspro TV antenna dipole in the rubbish bin.
(easy to find after typhoon)
Try to use it for receiving the CCTV-1 HDTV, it is OK but signal is marginal with other channel.
I added few elements to it , perfect !!

香港業餘無線電遠程通訊協會HARDXA - Discuz Forum

Recently, Edward (VR2XSC) and Sing (VR2IL) set up the Discus Forum for our members

It is open to registered members only.

http://hardxa.ham-radio-op.net/

HA8CE - Confirmed

Thank you Pista ( HA8CE ) returned the nice QSL card.



# 155 Country on Six Meter confirmed. !!!

A92GR - #156 on Six Meter

Last evening at 12:10z, worked A92GR on six meter , which is #156 country on the magic band.

Also, worked EX, SV, 9H, I and UK ..

Cycle 24 going well ... should have a lot of fun.

HA8CE - #155 on Six Meter

I am very happy to work HA8CE and HA8IH on 50.130 at 05:26-05:31z.

New one since 2004 ... My 155 country on the magic band .. Really happy !!!

士多啤梨園

Pansy and I 上星期日去咗雲泉仙館後面嗰個士多啤梨園。
味道ＯＫ喎，不過唔係太大粒。

Last Sunday, we went to a Strawberry Garden nearby our QTH. Although the strawberry are small , but very sweet.

ARRL International DX Contest 2009 Award

VR2PM - Silent Key

Our best friend, VR2PM became silent key early this morning.

He was one of the active six meter Dxers in the past years, achieved 6M DXCC in 2004.

He will be missed.

Six Meter Propagation

Six meter propagation going well to the south direction from my QTH. Worked VK8MS, DU7/PA0HIP and 9V1TT last evening in between 12:00z to 13:30z. Also heard YC1MH, 9M6XRO and VK4ADC but not making QSOs. With the increase of sunspots, look forward to have more DX activities through the magic band.

Japan CQ Ham Radio Magazine - RTTY Chat Room

HISAMI DEJIMA san, 7L4IOU sent me email recently for virtual interview, which is for the RTTY column in JA CQ ham radio magazine. Now it is published in the March 2010 Issue. Hisami-san is very active ham in the digital mode and read his callsign everytime in the contest.